Video gaming machines are currently finding application as video lottery terminals in state administered lotteries. As video lottery terminals these gaming machines essentially function in the same manner as video gaming machines found in state regulated casinos except that they generally use ticket printers to print tickets that can be exchanged for cash payments instead of paying winning amounts though a coin hopper as in conventional gaming machines.
Because there are usually only a few machines in any one establishment and because the public enjoys a variety of games, many of the video lottery terminals on the market today offer a number of games that can be selected by the player. In order to permit a machine to operate more than one game, touch screens are used so that game controls that are specific to each game can be displayed. Since video games can differ substantially in their mode of operation from game to game, it is generally not possible to use the same set of electromechanical control buttons to control different games such as poker, slot machines or keno. Therefore touch screens have been used to display game controls so that a variety of games can be played on the same video lottery terminal.
However, it has been found that the display of game controls on the video display can significantly slow play in certain circumstances. For example many video poker players play the game by touch without having to look at the screen which is generally necessary when using a touch screen. By requiring a player to look at the screen and to make hand movements that can be somewhat awkward, the rate of game play and hence the earning potential, especially for some of the more popular games such as video poker, is reduced.